By Janis Wallender, M.Ed., L.P.C. for American School Counselor Association
anx ie ty n 1. nervousness or agitation, often about something that is going to happen.
For many young people, as well as for educators and parents, the word "test" brings on a feeling of anxiety. Depending on the test and the state one is in, performance can carry significant consequences for the student and even the school. In some states with high-stakes testing, a comprehensive exam determines a student's placement for the following year, while in other states it may be used as an indicator of a low-performing school which will affect the entire staff at that school.
For example, in school A, students take the state comprehensive exam, which is used to determine grade placement for the following year. In school B, students take the state comprehensive exam, which is used to determine schools that will be targeted for school improvement. In school A, many students suffer from test anxiety because they realize that if they do not perform well on the state exam, they may not move on with their peers. In school B, students may suffer from test anxiety because the teachers place a great deal of pressure on student performance so that their school will not be targeted as being a poor-performing school.
anx i e ty n 2. a subject or concern that causes worry.
As we consider high stakes testing which determines placement or schools in need of improvement, we must first and foremost consider the students taking these tests. In order for most students to do well on a test, they must commit a good portion of what they have learned to memory. This does not mean "memorizing the text or notes," but rather being able to bring forth enough information about the test material to answer the questions. Yet test anxiety can interfere with this process in a variety of ways.
Low-performing students who normally perform poorly on tests often have some level of anxiety each time they take a test due to their continual low performance. They will often give up, as it is easier to fail because they haven't tried than to fail after trying their hardest. Even a student who performs at a high level in her daily academic work can suffer from test anxiety. When facing a test, her test anxiety causes her memory to "turn to mush." She becomes unable to concentrate, nor can she recall the answers she knows. If she fails the test and does not progress to the next level, she may begin to doubt her abilities, which may increase her test anxiety because of low self-esteem. In both instances, the students may not progress, and their scores combined with those of other students may cause the school to be targeted for low performance. Although in both instances the students' low performance may be related to test anxiety, each student was a totally different person with differing performance in the classroom.
anx i e ty n 3. a state of intense apprehension or fear of real or imagined danger, manifested physiologically as increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, weakness, and stomach or intestinal discomfort.
When we look at testing, the fear of real or imagined "danger" that manifests itself in somatic illnesses can often be related to personal, parental, or school expectations. With the cost of a college education on the rise, many students are working hard to be admitted to a college, as well as to be eligible for college scholarships. Many of these scholarships are based on a student's academic grade point average and class rank, which is based on a student's performance in school, which in turn is based on a student's performance on tests.
As an example, let's take a student entering his senior year. The student is at a high school that has a no-drop policy. Once enrolled in a class, the student must complete the class or receive a failing grade. The student is currently ranked number one in his class. At a number of the state universities, this student would be eligible for a full-tuition scholarship based on his class rank.
The student registers for a number of dual-credit classes his senior year, one of which is an AP Calculus class. As the beginning of the year progresses, this student realizes that although he is working hard, he is not doing very well in this class and his grade may drop his class rank by one or two. If he graduates number two in his class, his opportunity for the full-tuition scholarship is lost. Each test that this student takes brings on the anxiety related to the possibility of a lost scholarship opportunity.
A second student at a school with a similar no-drop policy is also ranked number one in her class. She has been anxious over how she will be able to afford to go to college. This student realizes that the full-tuition scholarship is going to open many doors for her in her future. She is not willing to risk losing her class rank. Because of her anxiety about the cost of college, she chooses to take classes that will allow her to maintain her grade point average. Upon entering the university, she realizes that she has not adequately prepared for the rigorous academic requirements and now suffers from test anxiety with each test as she tries to maintain her scholarship.
anx i e ty n 4. The strong wish to do a particular thing, especially if the wish is unnecessarily or unhealthily strong.
To help our young people deal with test anxiety, we must discover the underlying causes of their test anxiety. Are they anxious because of low performance on tests, unrealistic expectations, perfectionistic tendencies or fear of failure? Or is it because they don't know how to study or are just not studying?
Often students have negative thoughts in their heads when it comes to test taking. Teachers can often tell because of the "groans" they hear when the word test comes up. One professor years ago attempted to reverse these negative thoughts by telling his students they would never have a test in his class. Of course, this brought a multitude of cheers. He said, "You will have many opportunities to show me what you have learned." Helping a student reframe a negative image of a "test" into an opportunity to show the teacher what he has learned is one way to help reduce test anxiety.
Test preparation can be extremely difficult for students who have not learned techniques to study for tests. Students are often expected to do well on tests, but are never given any formal instruction on how to best prepare for a test. Schools that have study skills classes which include test-taking strategies as an integral component for all students will often see a reduction in test anxiety in those students who use the skills learned.
What may appear as test anxiety may actually be a cover for other difficulties a student may be encountering in her life. Students who go to schools that employ full-time counselors who are available to work with students in the classroom, in small groups, or in individual settings have a definite edge. Counselors may be able to help students discover ways to deal with the many stresses in their life, which will also aid them in handling test anxiety.
Whether it is the pressure of a test to determine placement, a test that places a school on school improvement list, a test that determines acceptance to a college or receipt of a scholarship, or a test that may determine the loss of a scholarship, test anxiety is real for many young people today. It is also becoming common for educators as they worry about student performance as it relates to school success. We as educators, advocates of educational reform, and leaders of our country must carefully consider what test anxiety can do to young people and how we can best evaluate student and school performance while keeping all of our children mentally and emotionally healthy.
